By soaking your peeled potatoes in cold water, it removes some of the starch. Look at the bottom of the bowl. You will see the leached starch sitting there. Less starch and you will reduce the problem of having your mashed potatoes turn gluey. They will mash up nice and fluffy. You all know the problems of using an electric mixer when making mashed potatoes. Soaking them in cold water reduces that problem.

__________________

__________________
Illegitimi non carborundum!
I don't want my last words to be, "I wish I had spent more time doing housework"

By soaking your peeled potatoes in cold water, it removes some of the starch. Look at the bottom of the bowl. You will see the leached starch sitting there. Less starch and you will reduce the problem of having your mashed potatoes turn gluey. They will mash up nice and fluffy. You all know the problems of using an electric mixer when making mashed potatoes. Soaking them in cold water reduces that problem.

No, we don't all know the problems of using an electric mixer when making mashed potatoes. Tell me. I have always just peeled, boiled, whipped and served. Always with an electric mixer. Never had a problem.

No, we don't all know the problems of using an electric mixer when making mashed potatoes. Tell me. I have always just peeled, boiled, whipped and served. Always with an electric mixer. Never had a problem.

There are certain types of potatoes (waxy) that become gluey when beaten with cold milk and butter using an electric mixer. There are times when I have seen potatoes so gluey that I would rather eat Elmer's Glue. It is the adding of the cold milk to the hot potatoes and then mixing them with the electric mixer vigorously that causes the glueyness. It is a chemical reaction. This is why so many recipes for mashed potatoes recommend adding warm milk.

__________________
Illegitimi non carborundum!
I don't want my last words to be, "I wish I had spent more time doing housework"

I will cover taters with water to keep them from turning brown till I cook them.

I will NEVER put taters in the fridge. I did it once and hated it. Refrigeration of potatoes turns the starch to sugar. Try it. You will have slightly sweet mashed. For me I don't like the flavor. JMHO

Soaking potatoes is a good move if you're going to fry them, to remove the surface starch. (BTW I don't know why this is good but I know for sure that it's good.) also, you should fry them twice, for sure, but again I'm not sure why: read Julia Child. If you cut your potatoes in advance you can keep them from browning by keeping tham under water.

When I make mashed potatoes I usually just boil them unskinned, or perhaps just bake them. I never remove the skin--I like the rustic look, feel and taste.

Well anything else would amount to me telling ppl how to make mashed potatoes... Or be sure to read Julia Child on making fried potato pillows. You understand pillows you pretty much have mastered fried potatoes.

As far as mashed, just bake or boil them then let them sit unpeeled and they won't brown.

Hello Everyone! I'm ChristopherG, and I just joined this site. I have a question for everyone. A friend of mine says she soaks potatoes in cold water and puts them in the fridge before boiling them to make mashed potatoes. Does anyone know why this would be done and what the benefits are? I told her she was crazy, lol, but I wanted to see if there was a valid reason for doing this. Thanks for your help.

Like already said this process keeps them from turning brown and keeps them firm. Best way to prepare a day before the meal. Carrots. Onions, Apples, etc. the same way .Adding lemons or lemon juice to the water is another good trick.

__________________''Good cooking is when things taste of what they are''